Michael Brissenden presents AM Monday to Friday from 8:00am on ABC Local Radio and 7:10am on Radio National. Join Elizabeth Jackson for the Saturday edition at 8am on Local Radio and 7am on Radio National.

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Monday 3 June 2002

AM is Australia's most informative morning current affairs. It covers the stories each morning that the other current affairs teams follow for the rest of the day. Below is the program summary with links to transcripts and audio (if available).

Catholic Archbishop in damage control

One of Australia's most senior Catholic leaders, the Archbishop of Sydney, is in damage control. He's preparing to hold a press conference later this morning, to respond to allegations he tried to silence victims of sexual abuse, offering them money to stay quiet. The allegations went to air on Channel Nine last night.

Catholic church responds to sex abuse victims

As you've just heard the official position of the Catholic Church is that there is no requirement for silence within the church's sexual abuse compensation scheme. However, along with some of the victims, Archbishop Pell himself appears to be confused about whether the scheme is designed to buy silence.

Reflections on the 10 year anniversary of Mabo

A key Australian legal assumption was consigned to history 10 years ago today when the High Court handed down what became known as the Mabo decision, overturning the premise that this land had no owners before the arrival of Europeans. And its been one of the most divisive issues in Australia's history. Creating native title, the Mabo case held out a great hope for Aboriginal people of the recognition at last of their claim to land but it also fuelled anger among landholders. A decade on, there are still many questions and for some, its been a 10 year long lawyers' picnic. But others will gather in Melbourne tonight to mark the occasion, and to honour the battle waged successfully by Eddie Mabo, the man whose name is now synonymous with the ruling. His widow, Bonita, has been speaking to Ben Knight, about her husband.

Native Title beneficial to indigenous Australians: Neate

The President of the Native Title Tribunal, Graeme Neate, says there have been many tangible benefits for indigenous Australians in the 10 years since the Mabo decision. There have been 30 determinations that native title exists over parts of Australia, sometimes just a few hectares in size, ranging all the way up to 50,000 square kilometres in Western Australia. Native title now also exists over areas in the Torres Strait, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales. Thousands of agreements have also been reached over exploration and mining ventures, pas pipelines and even the creation of a national park at Byron Bay in New South Wales under an indigenous land use agreement. I spoke to the National Native Title Tribunal's Graeme Neate a short time ago.

India reluctant to begin peace talks with Pakistan

Despite mounting pressure from Pakistan and the West, a defiant India is resisting efforts to start peace talks over its escalating border conflict as United Nations became the latest to remove their foreign nationals from Pakistan. The effort to get the nuclear rivals to the negotiating table gets underway in Kazakstan later today. All the while, the two sides' troops continue to trade artillery across their disputed Kashmir border.

Israeli soldiers arrest Australian in Nablus

In an echo of America's handling of al-Qaeda suspects, an Australian man, arrested by Israeli soldiers for being in the Palestinian-controlled city of Nablus, says he's been denied access to a lawyer and has at times been chained hand and foot. Israel's Army has recently deported a number of foreign nationals who've entered Palestinian areas during Israel's military incursions. The arrest and detention of the Australian man comes despite Israel having no legal authority to do so inside the Palestinian cities.

Liberals split over support for International Criminal Court

Putting an end to the past century's cycle of impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern, that's the noble aim stated for the new International Criminal Court, which comes into being in less than a month. But the Australian Government faces a backlash from within its own ranks over its intention to ratify the treaty establishing the Court which is also yet to win the formal support of key international players like Russia and the United States. Senior Federal ministers support the court to bring to justice those who commit crimes, which must at present await the formation of ad hoc tribunals, like the ones on Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. But on the Coalition's backbench, there are those echoing US claims that the Court will erode sovereignty.

Labor debates asylum seeker policy

The Federal Opposition's policy supporting mandatory detention of asylum seekers is on shaky ground this morning, after its rejection by the Queensland Labor Party conference during the weekend, and by the New South Wales party Conference a week ago. The Labor leader, Simon Crean, was also heckled at the Queensland conference over his push to limit union power in the party. The Opposition is calling it nothing more than the usual robust atmosphere of Labor conferences with Labor's Immigration Spokeswoman, Julia Gillard saying that the weekend argument was more about semantics.

Palace fire throws Jubilee preparations into disarray

Flames leaping from the roof of Buckingham Palace overnight in the first fire there since World War Two, threatened to bring a halt to the Queen's Golden Jubilee rock concert, which is scheduled for tomorrow night. But the fire's out now and the star-studded cast is back at its preparations, to follow a classical concert held yesterday, that was clearly enjoyed by Her Majesty and by the 12,000 ticket holders. It was also noteworthy for the presence of Camilla Parker-Bowles in the second row behind Prince Charles in the royal box. But for many it'll also be remembered for another first.